The committee will submit a plan of how a residential hospice would function.

“Over the years we have, as a group and as a community, we’ve fought long and hard to try and bring a hospice to Elgin-Middlesex-London, in particular Elgin,” Yurek said. “The need is here for our community.”

Hospice care brings peace of mind to people and their loved ones, he said.

“Hospice care focuses on relieving suffering and providing services like psychological, spiritual and bereavement support. This dignified end-of-life care that respects the wishes of (the) patient and their loved ones is something that all Ontarians should be able to access.”

The residential hospice would include six hospice beds, something Laura Sherwood, co-chair of the committee and director of hospice partnerships with the St. Joseph’s Health Care Society, said would be a “starting point” in Elgin County.

“I think future conversations to be able to expand and look at and reassess the need will be part of our future planning.”

Sherwood said the committee would submit the application as soon as possible, but couldn’t give a set timeline, saying it was a long process but would be submitted within a year.

Jeff Yurek, MPP for Elgin-Middlesex-London, announced Thursday Health Minister Christine Elliott has invited the Elgin Residential Hospice Planning committee to submit a hospice capital program application. Yurek said he guarantees a residential hospice will be built in the county in his term. (LAURA BROADLEY, Times-Journal)

“There’s a lot of considerations both in the application process for that capital funding program but also working through the process of operating funding.”

Sherwood said the announcement allows the committee to continue planning for the hospice, including where it would be located.

“The desired goal is to ensure that it meets the needs of everyone within the county.”

The Ontario government had previously announced it is spending $33.6 million to build 193 hospice beds in the province.

“Elgin will be an addition to these investments,” Yurek said.

“I’m proud that our government is committed to providing the most appropriate care to patients and making (it) available to them when and where they need it.”

The community will be asked to donate a portion of the operational costs for the hospice.

“There’s a lot of willing support in this community,” Yurek said. “I don’t see that as a barrier at all, I think people are waiting to give and donate.”

Yurek said the government usually contributes close to $1 million for capital and about 60 per cent for operational costs.

“Without a doubt, we will need the support of the community to help bring this vision to a reality here in Elgin,” Sherwood said.